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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27326674">Wide Open Spaces</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrswellrested/pseuds/mrswellrested'>mrswellrested</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Law &amp; Order: SVU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Country &amp; Western, F/M, Mutual Pining, Witness Protection</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:35:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27326674</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrswellrested/pseuds/mrswellrested</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She never expected her fake life in witness protection to be something she needed. She didn't want to go back to NYC, and she just wanted him to understand why she needed to stay in Montana. Slightly inspired by the Dixie Chicks song.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I hope you enjoy. This was the first svu fic I wrote in about ten years. I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies about living life in Montana, police work/policies, etc etc. Originally posted on ffn.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"It takes the shape of a place out west</em><br/>
  <em>But what it holds for her, she hasn't yet guessed"<br/></em>
  <em>Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks</em>
</p>
<p>Montana was vast and beautiful. The wildlife, the mountains, the forests, the fields, the clear streams and lakes, and the clean air all made up the state. It was the complete opposite of New York City in every way possible.</p>
<p>Which meant it was devoid of people and filled with loneliness.</p>
<p>Olivia had been there a whole year, cut off almost completely from everyone back in New York. The only person she communicated with that had any ties to the NYPD was her case agent, and Olivia guessed if the FBI agent had it his way, there wouldn't be any communication. But she demanded to be kept in the loop.</p>
<p>Thirteen months ago she was back in NYC worrying how they were going to nail the latest rapist terrorizing homeless women in Manhattan. Thirteen months ago Lowell Harris escaped from prison. Twelve months ago the FBI discovered a credible threat Harris made against her. Twelve months ago there was an attempt made on her life and she was whisked away by the FBI and the US Marshals and placed into witness protection. Twelve months ago she was still Detective Olivia Benson of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit.</p>
<p>Now, she was Maggie Lynn Holt, a divorcee, small farm owner, and horse boarder in the Middle of Nowhere, Montana.</p>
<p>She didn't know the first thing about being a farmer and thought this cover was someone's idea of a joke. Olivia never lived outside of New York City before. The only experience she had with growing crops was growing a small tomato plant in the window of her kitchen, and the plant died before it could produce a single tomato. She spent her whole first month in the small one level ranch house researching how to run a farm, how to raise animals, plant crops and harvest them. She spent the entire cold Montana winter in front of the fireplace with a number of library books from the small public library in town litter across the floor.</p>
<p>She had adapted and assimilated.</p>
<p>Now, in the tail end of summer, she looked over the farm and felt pride swell in her. She had a small field of corn, green beans, carrots, potatoes, blackberries, and raspberries growing on one side of the property. On the other side was the barn which housed five horses she boarded for some local townspeople. A number of chickens roamed around the house, pecking at the ground as they slowly migrated back to their coop. Somehow she, a city girl, made all this happen.</p>
<p>She patted the black mare that stood next to her. "If only the squad could see me now," she muttered to the horse. The horse snorted and shook her head in response. Unlike the other horses in her care, Olivia, or rather Maggie, owned this one. Luna was the first horse that came under her care. When her owners decided to retire and move down south, they put Luna up for sale. Olivia had taken a liking to the horse and decided to buy her.</p>
<p>Luna made traversing the vast property a breeze. The horse had become her best friend. She could tell Luna all her secrets, fears, desires. She could be Olivia and not Maggie. She told the horse about SVU and how she missed her friends, how she missed her partner.</p>
<p>Leaving Elliot had been one of the hardest parts of this witness protection ordeal. She only had five minutes to explain she was leaving and say goodbye to him. The look on his face when she told him she was leaving would be forever etched into her memory. It filled her with pain and guilt. She knew she would see him again, but she missed him a lot more than she ever thought she would.</p>
<p>As she stepped up in the saddle and swung her other leg over Luna's back, she wondered what Elliot was up to. He must have received a new partner by now. She flashed back to Dani Beck and grimaced. The thought of Elliot being partnered with another female detective didn't sit well with her. Olivia pressed the heels of her boots into Luna's sides and began the ride down the hill towards the barn.</p>
<p>She didn't consider herself the jealous type before, but when it came to Elliot, she was. She knew she shouldn't be though. Elliot was her partner, her best friend, and nothing more. He was married with five children. She couldn't acknowledge her feelings for him. They were purely selfish and only present because she was stuck in the middle of Montana all by herself. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself.</p>
<p>When Olivia reached the small barn, she dismounted Luna and led the horse to her stall. She whispered good praises to the horse as she took off each piece of tack and filled her trough with fresh water. She checked on the other horses before closing the barn up for the night. On her way back to the house, she made sure all the chickens were back in the coop and secured the door. She then finished her walk and stepped up on the porch of the house and overlooked the property once more as the summer sun began to sink behind the mountains in the far off distance.</p>
<p>Elliot would be amazed if he could see her now.</p>
<p>Once inside, she unholstered the revolver from her belt and put it in a box next to the door before checking the rifle that stood propped against the wall by the door. The weapons were weren't for protection from humans. It was the grizzly bears, the wolves, the cougars, the coyotes, and even the moose that roamed the land around her.</p>
<p>She heard stories in town of people going missing and their bodies turning up days later torn to pieces by one of the predators that roamed the land. She heard stories about grizzly bears attacking people while they were hiking or cougars stalking them at a distance before attacking. Even the moose were known to run people down. Montana held a danger that New York City didn't have.</p>
<p>She saw first hand how the cycle of nature worked out there when she had her first flock of chickens. It was the first day of spring when she woke up to find feathers and blood all over the yard. She found small tracks in the dirt and fur caught in the fence. She never figured out if it was a coyote or a fox, but from that moment on, she took every precaution to make sure her animals were safe.</p>
<p>Agent Brody, her case agent, didn't agree on the firearms at first, but once Olivia was able to convince him it would ultimately help with her alais and keep her safe if Harris did happen to find her, he drew up the necessary documents to prove Maggie Holt owned the weapons. The only time either gun was ever fired was when Olivia first acquired them and tested them on a target.</p>
<p>She walked through the house and into the kitchen. She switched the radio on and as the music began to play she washed some vegetables and began to cook dinner. As some meat and vegetables sizzled in the pan on the stove, her mind returned to her life in New York. Despite missing it, she didn't know if she wanted to go back.</p>
<p>For the first time in her life, she felt completely free.</p>
<p>She laughed at the idea. She was living someone else's life and had a number of rules to follow. That wasn't freedom, but there was something about living in the open plains with mountains and forests surrounding her that made her feel like she could do anything or be anything she wanted. She was happy. She knew the day would come when she would have to return to the city, and she dreaded it.</p>
<p>Once dinner was cooked, she poured herself a glass of wine and read through the newspaper as she ate. There was nothing interesting happening in the town besides a number of farmers markets and some teens getting caught partying and spray painting someone's barn. Crime seemed to be at an all time low and nothing like the city had. Life was definitely different there.</p>
<p>When dinner was finished and the dishes washed, she turned the radio off and decided to end her night with a movie she rented from the Redbox in town. As she turned the tv and dvd player on, she heard the crunching of gravel and a flash of light streak through the window and across the wall. As she creeped towards the rifle by the door, the sound of a car door slamming could be heard and more crunching gravel. She knew it wasn't Brody. He always called or texted before paying her a visit. It was too late to be a client checking in on their horse.</p>
<p>Olivia grabbed the rifle and pointed it at the door as a knock echoed through the room.</p>
<p>"Liv, open up! It's me."</p>
<p>Olivia nearly dropped the gun as she hurried towards the door and threw it open. She had been separated from her life for the last year, but she could never forget that voice.</p>
<p>Intense blue eyes stared back at her. They widened slightly as he caught sight of the gun in Olivia's hands. He took a step back and raised his hands. "Woah, it's just me," he said.</p>
<p>Olivia blinked, trying to make sure she wasn't imagining the person in front of her. She set the rifle back down in its place by the door and stared at him for a moment before finding her voice. "Elliot? What are you doing here?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Elliot smirked at her. "It's nice to see you too. Can I come in?" He took a moment to look her over. She looked healthy and well rested. Her face was fuller and her eyes brighter. Her hair was longer and more wavy than he remembered. Montana had been good to her.</p>
<p>He could practically see Olivia's head spinning with a million questions. She stood aside and gestured for him to come in. She closed the door and turned to face him. "It's nice to see you," she managed to say after a second. "It is, but El, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?"</p>
<p>He looked around the living room of the small house. It had charming wood floors and soft cream painted walls. A large, blue, braided rug took up most of the floor space. The stone fireplace was the focal point of the room, and judging by the ashes leftover in the hearth, it was well used. He could feel her eyes on him as he looked around. He turned back to her and chuckled slightly. "Cutting to the chase? You haven't changed." He sat down on the soft sofa and looked up at her.</p>
<p>Olivia snorted. "If only you knew. Now, are you going to answer me?" She walked around the coffee table and sat down in the wooden rocking chair across from him. "What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>"We got him, Liv," Elliot answered, a smile spreading across his face. "Lowell Harris is back in custody."</p>
<p>Olivia's eyes widened and she sat up straight in the chair. "Are you serious? It's over?"</p>
<p>"It's over."</p>
<p>"But Brody...he never called…"</p>
<p>"I might have persuaded him to let me tell you. That's how I found you. I can't believe they put you all the way out here."</p>
<p>"How did it happen?"</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>"How did you find Harris?"</p>
<p>"Oh, he finally slipped up," Elliot told her. "We got a tip from a CI. Harris was trying to buy drugs off the CI's friend and he happened to recognize Harris. We found Harris hiding out in an abandoned warehouse in Queens with a couple of buddies from his guard days. They were tracking down leads on you."</p>
<p>"So he never knew I was here?"</p>
<p>Elliot shook his head. "They had leads as far west as Ohio. They weren't looking any further than that," Elliot answered. "But it's over, Liv."</p>
<p>"Wow...I can't believe it," Olivia said, standing and going to the window. It was dark out and all she saw was her own reflection in the glass. She felt disappointed. She expected to be in Montana for at least another six months based on the last update Brody had given her. She had all but given up hope that Harris was ever going to be caught five months into her new life. "That's-that's great, it is."</p>
<p>She saw Elliot stand and walk over to her in the window's reflection. "I thought you'd be more excited about this," he said, head tilted slightly. "Something wrong?"</p>
<p>She looked over at him. "Oh, it's nothing," she lied. "I just wasn't expecting this day to ever come. It's been a year, El. And a long one at that." She sighed and started for the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? Eat? I know you just drove over three hours from the airport to get here."</p>
<p>"If you have any beer, I'll have one," Elliot said, following after her. He felt like she was leaving something out and wanted to get to the bottom of it. She looked almost upset by the news. He expected her to be thrilled and ready to leave the second he told her it was all over. "And then you can tell me how your year's been."</p>
<p>Olivia reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer. She twisted off the cap and handed it to him. "How's everything back home?"</p>
<p>"They're good," Elliot said, sitting at the table. "Everyone misses you. They can't wait for you to come back. Munch and Fin have been driving me nuts since you left. They're good cops, but the only partner I want to have is you." He took a drink and continued. "How's everything been here? Who did they have you pretend to be?"</p>
<p>"Fine," Olivia answered. "My alias is a farmer and horse boarder. I had a lot of learning to do when I first got here."</p>
<p>"You gotta be kidding me? You, a farmer? Whose idea was that?"</p>
<p>Olivia laughed. "That's what I thought too, but it all worked out. I've been selling vegetables and jams at the farmers market in town and taking care of other people's horses. Brings in enough money to live here comfortably."</p>
<p>"Bet that lesson in horseback riding from the academy came in handy," Elliot said.</p>
<p>"Horses were the only thing that were familiar to me, but even then, I still had no idea what I was doing," Olivia said. She remained silent for a moment, pondering her next question before asking it. "How's Kathy? The kids?"</p>
<p>"The kids are fine," Elliot answered, avoiding her gaze now. "Maureen's getting married in a few months. Met some guy at the school she teaches at. Kathleen just got a new job at a counseling center. Twins are getting ready for their first year of college. Eli's been keeping me on my toes. That kid is just a ball of energy." He smiled as he thought of his youngest child.</p>
<p>"And Kathy?" Olivia asked, leaning forward slightly, noticing he hadn't mentioned his wife at all.</p>
<p>"We're-uh-we're divorced now," Elliot let out a breath. "Kathy filed shortly after you left. It was just finalized a couple months ago. We really tried, but our marriage just wasn't working. We were staying together for the wrong reasons."</p>
<p>"Oh, El, I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>"Don't worry about it. It's fine. The kids seem okay with it. Eli stays with Kathy and I see him on my days off and he stays with me on any weekends off I get." He shrugged. "It's okay, really. Kathy and I are happier than we've been in a long time."</p>
<p>Olivia gave an understanding nod. She was really surprised to hear about the divorce. Before she left, she thought Elliot's marriage was going well. She thought Elliot and Kathy were finally getting things right. Now he was suddenly single and available. Olivia banished the thought. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about dating her partner. "So, what happens now?" She asked, wondering what his plan was and how she could sneak in the fact that she wasn't thinking about returning to New York.</p>
<p>"Well, I figured I'd be here a few days while you tie up any loose ends and then we can go home together," Elliot suggested. "Brody should be coming by tomorrow to finalize and close the case with you. Then once everything's done here, we can pack up and get you home."</p>
<p>Olivia bit her lip. "About that…" She said slowly, her eyes avoided his as her voice trailed off.</p>
<p>Elliot's brow furrowed and he frowned. "What, Liv?"</p>
<p>"I don't know if I want to go home."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olivia couldn't sleep that night. She kept replaying the argument she had with Elliot over and over in her head. After she told him she wasn't sure if she wanted to return to New York, Elliot blasted her with nonstop questions. Why didn't she want to return? What about her job at SVU? What did she plan on doing in Montana? Was she going to live the rest of her life out as Maggie Holt? She couldn't give him the answers to his nonstop questions. He just didn't seem to understand that she felt at peace and free there. She tried to explain it, but Elliot didn't want to hear it. His only concern seemed to be getting her back to the city.</p><p>"It's getting late. Let's talk about this tomorrow," he sighed. "Okay if I take the couch? Or do you want me to go back to town and get a room at the motel?"</p><p>And that had been the end of it. After Olivia gave him some spare sheets, blanket, and a pillow for the couch, she closed herself off in her bedroom. She didn't want to admit it, but Elliot did have a point. She didn't know how she was going to proceed. She couldn't live a lie for the rest of her life. She couldn't be Maggie forever. Olivia knew her life in Montana was never meant to last.</p><p>She tossed and turned most of the night as she thought things through. She knew Elliot was going to try to convince her to return to New York, and knowing Elliot, he wouldn't give up until he got his way. He was stubborn. She was just going to have to show him why she wanted to stay in Montana and take it one day at a time.</p><p>When the first rays of sunlight started filtering through her curtains, Olivia got out of bed and got ready for the day. She slipped into a pair of blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt and tip-toed out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. Once her face was washed and her hair pulled into a ponytail, she walked down the hall to the kitchen.</p><p>She forgot Elliot was there for a second and was startled to find him asleep on her couch. He was on his stomach, his face turned towards the back of the couch, and his arm dangling off the side. The blanket she had given him the night before only covered up to his hips leaving his bare back exposed to the cool air in the ranch house. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his back and bit her lip. She stopped her eyes from trailing down down his back and continued her way into the kitchen for breakfast.</p><p>Just as she was finishing frying eggs in a pan, she heard a groan from the living room and a minute later, Elliot was stumbling into the kitchen. He rubbed the back of his head and stretched. It took everything in Olivia to not stare.</p><p>"Smells good," he said.</p><p>"It's just some eggs and toast, nothing special," she answered, pouring him a cup of coffee. "Bathroom's down the hall if you need it."</p><p>Elliot nodded and turned out of the kitchen as Olivia made him a plate. She sat his food and coffee down on the table for him before making up her own plate. A moment later Elliot returned and sat down.</p><p>"You sleep okay?" Olivia asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from any more questions regarding her future.</p><p>"Yea, the couch isn't too bad," Elliot answered as he loaded his eggs onto a slice of toast. "Took a while to fall asleep. It's too quiet out here."</p><p>"It's nice isn't it?" Olivia smiled. "No cars, no people, no loud music at all hours of the day. Sometimes if you listen really close you can hear the wolves howling off in the distance."</p><p>"Wolves?" Elliot asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Jesus, Liv, what is out here?"</p><p>"Grizzly bears, cougars, moose, coyotes, rattlesnakes," Olivia listed off. "This is definitely not New York."</p><p>"Yea, I can tell. You ever see any of those animals?"</p><p>"My first week here there was a rattlesnake under the porch. I had to have a local guy come out and remove it. Had a bear get into the trash the next week. I never saw it, but I found its tracks leading up to the trash cans. I've seen moose moving across the fields. I've seen foxes playing with each other, but I've never actually seen any of the wolves or the bears or the cougars. I know they're there though."</p><p>Elliot shook his head. "I'll take the raccoons and the five pound rats over what you got out here any day."</p><p>Olivia chuckled and sipped her coffee. "It's not all bad. There are plenty of harmless animals." As she opened her mouth to speak, her cell pinged. She checked it and saw a text from Agent Brody saying he would be there around noon to close out the case with her. "That was Brody. He'll be here in a few hours."</p><p>"What are you going to do until then?"</p><p>"Well, I just can't stop everything so I'm going to do what I've been doing. Feed and let out the chickens, check on the horses and let them out to graze. None of my clients are coming today so I'll have time to muck out stalls and tend to Luna. Tend to the crops."</p><p>"Luna?"</p><p>"My horse."</p><p>"You have a horse?"</p><p>"She was a boarder. Her owners were moving and weren't going to take her with them so I bought her."</p><p>"Liv, what are you going to do with a horse in New York?"</p><p>Olivia had been waiting for Elliot to bring the topic of her returning to the city up. She sighed and took a sip of coffee before speaking. "El, I already told you, I don't know if I'm going back." Her appetite was gone and she dumped the rest of her breakfast in the trash before setting her dishes in the sink. "And before you say anything, no I haven't thought everything through." She shook her head and turned to him. "I know you want me to go back and I understand, but let me use the next few days you're here to show you why I need to stay, why it's time for me to walk away from the job."</p><p>Elliot stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Okay," he agreed. "Okay."</p><p>He didn't know what else to do but follow Olivia around like a lost puppy. After breakfast, he walked with her out to the barn and listened to her talk through her morning routine. He watched her look over every horse in the barn before letting them out into the pasture one by one. She even introduced him to Luna. He could see why Olivia was enamored with the animal. Luna had a personality and spirit of her own. The two seemed to share a bond that he couldn't comprehend.</p><p>After giving Luna some extra attention and a carrot for a treat, Olivia let the horse out to graze before tossing Elliot a pair of rubber gloves and a shovel.</p><p>"You can make yourself useful and help me clean the stalls," she said with a teasing smile.</p><p>After the stalls were cleaned and the food and water and feeding troughs filled with fresh supplies, he followed her over to the chicken coop. Olivia had already let the chickens out to roam the yard, but she still needed to collect any eggs in the coop. Elliot held the basket for her as she gently placed egg after egg in before telling him to take the eggs inside and meet her over by the vegetables patch.</p><p>By the time all her chores were finished, it was nearly noon and Elliot was drenched in sweat. As he wiped his brow with his shirt, he glanced over to Olivia. It didn't look like she even broke a sweat. He watched as she lifted the heavy basket of the fresh produce they just harvested. Her body was more toned than it was a year before. She caught him staring and smiled.</p><p>"Don't tell me you're tired already," she said, nodding her head towards the house. "Come on. Brody's going to be here soon."</p><p>"I don't know how you do this, Liv. I'm exhausted," he said as he followed after her.</p><p>She shrugged. "You get used to it." She set the basket on the porch and held the door open for him. "Go get cleaned up, I'll make us some lunch."</p><p>He slipped passed her, his body brushing every so lightly against hers. He didn't know if it was the heat of the summer or Olivia being so close to him, but he suddenly felt much much hotter as he made his way to the bathroom.</p><p>Agent Mike Brody was a young man. Olivia put him in his early thirties. He was tall, fit, and sported a blond, military-esque haircut. He was a no nonsense type of person and was always thorough with his work. He arrived at the farm right after lunch with a large stack of folders. He greeted Elliot with a handshake and then ushered Olivia into the kitchen so they could get started.</p><p>He read over the details of the case starting from Harris' escape from prison, to Harris trying to gun her down while she and Elliot were out working a case, to the moment Harris was arrested and put into a maximum security facility. It bored her. She already knew all the details of her case. She exchanged a look with Elliot who was sitting at the table with them. He gave her a small smirk as though he knew what she was thinking.</p><p>"And now we come to your life here and your identity," Brody said, opening another folder and flipping through the paperwork. "Everythings in order to abolish your alias and life here and transition you back to your normal life. All money you earned as Maggie Holt will be transferred to your bank account in New York and you may take any property you purchased during your time here. Any questions so far?" He looked up from his paperwork and stared at her for a moment. "You look like you have something on your mind, detective."</p><p>"What if…" Olivia paused. She wrung her fingers and let out a breath. "What if I wanted to stay here?"</p><p>Brody pursed his lips and closed his folder. "Do you want to stay here?"</p><p>"Yea, I think I do," Olivia answered.</p><p>"Well, you're not the first who grew attached to their new life," Brody began. "If you are one hundred percent sure you want to stay, we can make that happen. It won't be easy, mind you. How about this? Why don't you take the next week and think it over? My boss is on vacation anyways so I'll hold off on filing my reports until then. If you decide you want to go home, then we'll be done and you can be on your way. If you decide you want to say, we'll go through the paperwork to get the property and what not transferred over to you."</p><p>"What about everyone she's met here?" Elliot spoke up. "They all know her as Maggie. Won't it be weird if she starts going by Olivia?"</p><p>"It will be, but the case is over. Detective Benson is no longer in danger. All she has to do now is testify in court and we all know it will be months before a trial date is set," Brody answered. "If Detective Benson decides to stay it will be up to her if she wants to disclose her real identity. But like I said, take the week and think it all over. It's a big decision." He gathered his files and reports and shook each of their hands. "I'll stop by this time next week for your answer." He then turned to Elliot. "I'm assuming you'll be staying until then?"</p><p>"If she wants me here that long," Elliot answered.</p><p>Brody nodded. "Very well. See you next week."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Brody left, Olivia went to finish up the last of her chores. Elliot followed after her but didn't say anything about the FBI agent's visit. She was thankful for that. She didn't think she could deal with an onslaught of questioning while her mind was already spinning with a million of her own questions. When she made Elliot go take the final basket of potatoes over to the house, she walked over to the fence separating the field for the horses and the crops. She put her foot on the lowest rail of the wooden fence and leaned forward, resting her forearms on the top rail. She watched the horses off in the distance and let her thoughts consume her.</p><p>She would miss SVU. She would miss the work she was doing, but her heart could only take so much. Every victim and every story just kept breaking her heart, and she would pour her whole self into the case to get justice for them. But at the end of the day, there was nothing left of her for herself. She spent so much time worrying and caring for everyone around her that she didn't have the time for herself. Olivia thought she was living her life, but it wasn't until coming to Montana did she realize she wasn't.</p><p>During her last few months at SVU, she began to wonder how much longer she could go on in the unit. Olivia saw so much gruesomeness and violence and nearly became a victim herself. She loved helping those in need, and though it drained her mentally and emotionally, Olivia didn't regret it, not for a minute.</p><p>But it was time to move on, and she knew this was her time.</p><p>"So what is there to do around here when the work's done?"</p><p>Olivia jumped slightly as Elliot appeared next to her. She had been so lost in thought she never even heard him approach her. "Well, there's a diner, what the locals call a nice Italian restaurant, a couple bars and a small theater in town," Olivia answered, not taking her eyes off the horses in the distance. "Only has two screens though, so not much variety when it comes to movies. Otherwise, you have to make your own entertainment."</p><p>"And what do you do for entertainment?" Elliot then asked, leaning closer to her.</p><p>"Not much," she answered. "By the time I'm done with everything around here things are closing up for the night. Sometimes I go down to one of the bars. Most times I just stay in and read and watch movies."</p><p>"Well, what do you want to do tonight? You said you wanted to show me why you wanted to stay."</p><p>She turned to look at him. He was so close she could practically feel the heat coming off him. "I guess we could go get a drink and you can fill me in on what's been happening back in New York." She glanced at her watch. "But first, you can help me bring the horses in."</p><p>Elliot looked at her and then to the horses in the distance. "How exactly?"</p><p>She smiled and led the way to the barn.</p><p>Once the horses were back in their stalls and the barn shut up for the night, both Olivia and Elliot went back to the house and got cleaned up and changed into clean clothes. When they were both ready, Olivia grabbed the keys to the pick up truck she'd been driving for the last year and drove them both into town.</p><p>Elliot listened as Olivia explained why the bar they were going to was her favorite of the four bars that existed in town. It was owned by a sixty year old woman named Patty, and not only did she own the bar, she also was the bartender along with her daughter, Penny. Patty didn't put up with fights and on more than one occasion, ended them before the cops could even arrive. She was fair and took pride in keeping her establishment orderly and clean. Patty also turned out to be one of the first people Olivia met when she first arrived in Montana. She gave Olivia, or rather Maggie, advice and would help her when she needed it.</p><p>When Olivia parked the truck, he followed her into the brick building with a big green neon sign that read Patty's. The bar was just as Elliot had imagined. It was full of men wearing denim and cowboy hats and women wearing jeans too tight and cowboy boots. Country music played from a well maintained jukebox near a small dance floor. Most people were mingling around tables or the bar and only a couple women were dancing to the music.</p><p>"Maggie! Haven't seen you in a while! Where have you been, girl?"</p><p>Elliot looked over to see a woman with gray hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head filling a glass with beer from the tap. She had a stern face, but kind dark eyes. The woman passed the glass to a waiting patron and leaned forward against the bar to talk to Olivia. "And who's this?" She asked, catching sight of Elliot.</p><p>"Patty, this is Elliot. He's my friend from back home that I told you about," Olivia answered. "He came to see me and is staying for the week. I'm just showing him around."</p><p>Patty eyed Elliot for a moment and smiled. "What can I get you two?"</p><p>Olivia ordered them a couple of beers before leading Elliot over to an empty table. A moment later, Patty came over with a basket of homemade potato chips. "On the house," she said with a smile before heading back to the bar.</p><p>"She seems nice," Elliot said as he sampled a chip.</p><p>"She's wonderful," Olivia nodded. "Like I said, she's been a huge help."</p><p>"Are you going to tell her your real name?"</p><p>He watched her ponder the question before she nodded again. "I will. She'll understand."</p><p>"I'm glad you had someone you could trust out here," Elliot replied. He spent the last twelve months worrying about her. He wanted so bad to make contact with her, but he knew he would put her at risk if he had. So while he went through the divorce, putting up with an endless rotation of partners from other special victims units, and helping the feds find Harris, he worried for her. He wanted nothing more than to have her by his side again.</p><p>Even though he didn't completely understand why she wanted to leave SVU behind and remain in Montana, he was glad to see she made something for herself. She had friends. She had a life. She was healthy. She didn't let Harris take any of that away from her.</p><p>He watched as she took a drink from her bottle and her eyes glancing around the bar. She stopped and gave a small wave to someone. Elliot followed her gaze and saw she was waving to a woman sitting with a man a few tables away.</p><p>"Friends of yours?" Elliot asked.</p><p>"Clients. I board their daughter's horse. That palomino one. I'm going to go say hello, I'll be right back."</p><p>Elliot watched her go, and as soon as Olivia left, her seat was taken by Patty who delivered two more beers to their table.</p><p>"She's something else, isn't she?" Patty asked.</p><p>"Yea, she is," Elliot answered as he turned his eyes from Olivia to the older woman across from him.</p><p>"You better not break that girl's heart."</p><p>Elliot almost choked on his drink. "Excuse me."</p><p>"I might be old, but I'm not blind, boy. I see how she looks at you. And you at her."</p><p>"She's my best friend," Elliot told her.</p><p>Patty laughed. "So you're saying best friends can't get together? My husband, God rest his soul, was my best friend from the time we could walk all the way up to when he finally got the courage to ask me out on a date. So don't even think about lying to me by saying that's all she is to you. I heard the way she talked about her friend from back home." She glanced over to Olivia who was chatting away with the couple at the other table. "I'm very fond of her. I don't want to see her hurt."</p><p>"I'm not going to hurt her," Elliot promised.</p><p>Patty pursed her lips and hummed. "I know, but if you do…" She trailed off. "Take care of her." She then stood and disappeared behind a group of people just as Olivia returned to the table.</p><p>"Sorry about that," she said.</p><p>"It's no problem," Elliot said as the song changed on the jukebox to Boot Scootin' Boogie and people hurried to the floor to dance. He looked from the crowd on the dance floor to Olivia with a new idea in his head. "Wanna dance?"</p><p>Olivia laughed. "Oh no," she said, finishing off her drink. "Besides, I don't know how to do the dance for this."</p><p>"Judging by the looks of everyone else, neither do they," Elliot replied, holding out his hand to her. "Come on, it'll be fun."</p><p>She hesitated, took his hand, and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. They found a space at the end of a line and attempted to copy the dance moves everyone else was doing. Despite not knowing the dance everyone else was doing, Olivia found herself having a good time. She glanced over at Elliot as they stomped and clapped and grinned at him. She found him grinning and laughing playfully back at her. When it came time to turn and face another direction,Olivia turned and stumbled right into Elliot's chest.</p><p>"Wrong way, Liv," Elliot laughed, his arm snaked around her waist to prevent her from stumbling any further.</p><p>"I told you I didn't know how to do this," Olivia replied laughing as she steadied herself. She found herself staring up at him and suddenly unable to think. He was staring back at her with his lips turned upward in that cocky smirk she liked so much. Her eyes flicked from his eyes to his lips.</p><p>"W-we should probably get out of the way," she whispered.</p><p>"They can go around," Elliot responded, his face now closer to hers.</p><p>Then something snapped Olivia back to reality. As much as she wanted the moment to continue, as much as she wanted to kiss him, she couldn't allow herself to give into something that was only going to be temporary. At the end of the week when she made her decision to stay, he would be gone and there would be no chance for them.</p><p>Despite everything she felt and everything in her that was screaming for her to kiss him, she pulled away from Elliot and finally spoke. "It's starting to get late. We should head back." She turned and walked toward the bar to pay the tab, leaving Elliot standing there looking confused.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He wasn't sure what happened at the bar that night. Elliot kept replaying it over and over in his mind as he laid on the couch staring up at the had a moment and he was sure they were going to kiss, but then she wanted to leave all of a sudden. He wanted to believe she felt the same way about him that he did about her. He couldn't shake the thought of Olivia's lips on his. It had been a recurring thought over the last thirteen years. He used to feel guilty about it. He had been married after all, but now, well now it was all he could think of.</p>
<p>When it was clear sleep wasn't going to come to him, he rolled off the couch and padded into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. It was nearly five in the morning and still dark outside, but Elliot took his mug outside and sat on a rocking chair on the front porch. As he sipped the hot liquid he listened to the light rustle from the leaves on the trees that were just on the edge of the property. Otherwise, the silence of the night was almost deafening. It wasn't something he was used to at all, but he found he didn't mind it. It was almost comforting.</p>
<p>Just sitting in the dark, he could start to see why Olivia wanted to stay. There was no risk of being woken up to go to a crime scene. There were no car alarms going off unexpectedly. No cats were fighting in an alleyway. The stars, which weren't even remotely visible in the city, seemed to lit up the whole sky. The night held a sort of peace he only ever experienced when he was still a child free of the worries and terrors the world held.</p>
<p>As he finished his coffee, he checked his phone for the time. He saw a text from Kathleen asking when he'd be coming home. He sent a reply saying he'd be back at the end of the week before checking his other messages. He was expecting something from Cragen, but he hadn't responded to his message telling him Olivia was thinking about staying. Perhaps Cragen wasn't as surprised as Elliot had been when he first heard the news.</p>
<p>He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting outside, but when the sun began to turn the sky pink, orange, and red, Elliot went back into the house. He knew Olivia would probably be up soon, so he got to work at making breakfast. He wanted to put her in a good mood before bringing up the moment in the bar from the night before. He was busy chopping up a pepper for the omelets when Olivia entered the kitchen. She was already dressed in jeans and a plain, blue, v-neck, t-shirt.</p>
<p>"You didn't have to do that," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.</p>
<p>"I wanted to," Elliot responded. He watched as she turned the radio on and sat down to drink her coffee. The only sound that filled the kitchen was the morning news from the radio and the sizzling of the food in the frying pan. He glanced over his shoulder at her and noticed she seemed to be looking anywhere other than him. "Sleep okay?"</p>
<p>"Fine," she answered. "You?"</p>
<p>"Couldn't sleep. I was up before the sun came up. Sat out on the porch for a bit."</p>
<p>Olivia hummed in acknowledgment and continued to sip her coffee.</p>
<p>Elliot frowned and plated their food. He sat the plate down in front of Olivia before sitting across from her. He wanted to talk to her about the night before, but he wasn't sure how to approach the topic. What if he had been wrong about his perception of that moment in the bar? He didn't want to risk looking like a complete ass, nor did he want to risk telling her how he felt and drive her way. "So what's on the agenda today?" Elliot eventually asked, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>"Pretty much the same as yesterday," Olivia answered. "There are clients coming today with their farrier to put new shoes on their horse. After that, I need to get everything we picked yesterday ready for the market tomorrow."</p>
<p>"Want some help?"</p>
<p>"If you don't find packaging berries too boring," Olivia responded as she finished her breakfast. "Thank you for breakfast. I'm going to go let the chickens out while you finish up. You can come find me when you're done, if you want."</p>
<p>And before Elliot could say anything, Olivia disappeared from the kitchen.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She hadn't slept well.</p>
<p>Olivia spent the night tossing and turning, regretting her choice to walk away from Elliot the night before. At the time, she thought she was doing the right thing. In her mind, she was protecting herself. Even though she had four more days to change her mind, she knew she would be staying in Montana and Elliot would not. He would be gone in four days and she doubted if she would see him again after that. He wasn't going to just come all the way out to the middle of nowhere to visit her. She probably would get a phone call from him every now and again before he eventually forgot about her. She couldn't just pour out her feelings to him only to have him leave and forget about her.</p>
<p>"He won't forget about me," Olivia said as she brushed Luna. "We spent twelve years together. He won't just forget me."</p>
<p>Luna snorted and shook out her mane.</p>
<p>She was being ridiculous, she knew that, but she didn't think she could stand the potential heartbreak.</p>
<p>"Just tell him," she berated herself.</p>
<p>"You say something?" Elliot asked, walking up to the stall Olivia was standing in.</p>
<p>Damn him and his sneaky feet, she thought. "Just talking to Luna," Oliva said, finishing up her brushing and checking her watch. It had been nearly two hours since she last saw Elliot. She didn't even notice how much time had passed since breakfast. "What took you so long?"</p>
<p>"I washed the dishes and ran into town for a couple things," Elliot answered.</p>
<p>"Oh?" Olivia watched as he slowly held out his hand to Luna. The horse blinked and allowed him to pat her nose. "You should have said something. I would have run into town with you."</p>
<p>"You were busy, I didn't want to bother you."</p>
<p>Olivia opened the stall door and guided Luna out and to the open barn door. She gave the horse a pat on her hind quarters and watched her gallop off into the field. She turned to Elliot. He was standing there in fresh blue jeans and a USMC t-shirt that seemed to cling perfecting to his torso. His stubble was more prominent than the day before. She felt her hands begin to sweat and gulped. Damn he looked good.</p>
<p>"Well, let's get to work," she said, leading the way out of the barn, trying to keep her heart rate down.</p>
<p>Olivia had him washing the berries and vegetables they picked the day poor as she packed them into plastic containers for sale. She left him when her clients arrived with the farrier and helped them call in their horse, a white and brown painted horse named Chester. She chatted with Chester's owners as the farrier nailed new shoes on the horse. When the farrier finished, the owners paid Chester's boarding fee and fed him a couple sugar cubes before promising to be back in a couple days to take him out for a ride.</p>
<p>By the time Olivia got back in the house, all the berries and vegetables were washed, packed and ready for the farmers' market. She smiled at the gesture and found Elliot standing at the counter making a couple sandwiches for lunch.</p>
<p>"You didn't have to finish all this," Olivia said. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"It's nothing, Liv," Elliot answered, glancing over his shoulder at her. "I wanted to help."</p>
<p>She leaned against the counter and watched him finish preparing lunch. It was now or never. "El...can we talk?"</p>
<p>"Sure," Elliot answered. "What about?"</p>
<p>"I think you know."</p>
<p>"Last night? It's okay. I didn't mean to make things awkward." He handed her a plate with a ham and cheese sandwich and potato chips.</p>
<p>"You didn't," Olivia sighed, taking the plate and setting it on the table. "If anything I did." She watched him still for a moment before continuing. "I-El...I wanted to tell you that I-" Before she could finish, she heard a chorus of startled squawks from the chickens outside. She hurried to the window and saw two coyotes chasing the birds. "Shit." She hurried to the door, grabbed the rifle and ran outside.</p>
<p>She could hear Elliot hot on her heels. She rounded the corner of the house and carefully aimed the gun. She fired several rounds, but she was too late. The coyotes were already too far away, dashing into the woods. One had a chicken clenched in it's jaws.</p>
<p>"Fuck!" Olivia swore as she watched the animals disappear in the trees. "They're usually not so brazen like that. They normally only come around at night." She turned to him and sighed. "Help me get the chickens back in the pen? I can't afford to lose anymore today."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Those damn coyotes...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been hours since the chicken incident and the talk Olivia was supposed to have with Elliot had been delayed. The rest of the afternoon was spent finishing her chores and making sure everything was ready for the farmers' market the next day. Once the chores were done and the horses safely in the barn, Olivia decided to shower before starting dinner.</p><p>As she let the hot water run over her, she thought about what she was going to say to Elliot. She hadn't forgotten about it, but the speech she had prepared before the coyotes came had been long since forgotten. She was just going to have to take the risk and come out and say it:</p><p>She was in love with him.</p><p>No more sugar coating it.</p><p>She watched the soap wash from her body and flow down the drain as she tried to quiet her mind. She was playing all the "what if" situations over and over again. "I'm going to need some wine," she muttered, turning the water off.</p><p>She stepped out of the tub, toweled off, and slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She dried her hair as much as possible with the towel and let the damp tendrils fall down her shoulders, dampening the back of her shirt. When she left the bathroom, she found the house empty and quiet. Olivia peaked out the window and saw that Elliot's rented car was still in the driveway. She stepped into a pair of slip-on shoes and ventured out onto the porch to look for Elliot.</p><p>She found him behind the house, kneeling on the ground, and blowing air into a small, growing fire in the fire pit. The picnic table that sat a few feet back from the fire pit was covered with a light blue linen tablecloth. Next to the table was a small cooler and a grocery bag filled with a pack of hot dog buns, marshmallows, and a few other items she couldn't quite make out.</p><p>"El, what are you doing?" She asked, watching him sit up and gently put some twigs onto the fire.</p><p>"Getting things ready for dinner," Elliot answered, looking over his shoulder at her. She could feel his eyes looking her up and down before he turned back to tend to the flames. "I thought we could have a bit of a cookout. I used to do this with the kids all the time when we went camping." He positioned a couple logs on the fire before standing and brushing his jeans. "Besides, you had kind of a long day, so I wanted you to relax while I handled dinner."</p><p>"Well thank you." Olivia smiled and sat down on the bench of the table. "You know, this is the first time this fire pit's been used."</p><p>"I can tell. I had to pull out all the weeds that were growing in it," Elliot chuckled. He opened the cooler and pulled out a pack of hot dogs and various condiments. He then pulled out a beer, opened it, and took a long drink. "How do you like yours?"</p><p>"Not burned," Olivia answered.</p><p>"Can't make any promises," he teased. "There's more beer in the cooler if you want any."</p><p>She watched as he skewered a couple hot dogs and began cooking them over the fire. In the dying light of the day and the fire, he looked so relaxed and at peace. Montana seemed to be doing him as much good as it did her. She popped open the cooler, pulled out a bottle of beer, and twisted off the cap. She took a long swig of the amber liquid. It was now or never. "So before the chicken incident," she began slowly, standing from her seat and walking over and sitting down on the ground next to him. "I was going to talk to you about last night."</p><p>"I know. I'm all ears," he responded.</p><p>"Well…" Olivia's mind went blank and the speech she had prepared, again, was gone. She stared at him and did the only thing she could think to do. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. It started slow, just their lips pressed together, and then it turned heated. She tilted her head, her hand cupping his cheek as her tongue swiped across his lower lip.</p><p>Elliot opened his mouth to her and a low moan escaped this throat. His arm slipped around her waist and pulled her closer as his other hand slipped into her hair. He felt her tongue swipe over his own. He bit down on her lower lip, causing her to moan and her free hand to grip the front of his shirt. He pulled her into his lap as his tongue explored her mouth.</p><p>Before things got out of hand, Elliot pulled back and stared into her eyes. She stared back, trying to catch her breath. He smirked. "So is that what you wanted to do the other night?"</p><p>"I did," Olivia confessed. "But I just-just couldn't. I didn't want to let you know how I felt about you because in a few days you'll be leaving and I will still be here."</p><p>"You don't have to be."</p><p>"I can't go back," Olivia said as she moved from his lap and stood. "I made something for myself here and I'm proud of it. It's time for me to move on, El, and I'm sorry if you don't want to hear that, but I'm not going back." She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She stared into the fire and avoided his gaze.</p><p>Elliot stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Olivia, look at me." When she turned her eyes back to his, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's okay, I get it. I'm not going to ask you to come back with me again. The last couple days I've been here, I've seen you happier and healthier than I've seen you in a while. And that's all I want, is for you to be happy." He cupped her cheek and stroked it with his thumb. "I love you, Olivia. I have for a while, even when Kathy and I were still together…"</p><p>It felt so good to say those words. They were words that had been on this tongue for the longest time. Being in the middle of nowhere Montana wasn't where he imagined telling her, but he wouldn't have it any other way.</p><p>"If you want this," Elliot continued. "If you want us, then we will make it work." And then he kissed lips gently. When they parted a few seconds later, she was staring up at him. Fire reflected in her brown eyes as she smiled.</p><p>"Let's make it work then. But first, I think you're going to have to re-do our dinner because those hot dogs are black now."</p><p>It was late by the time they put the fire out and retreated inside. Olivia excused herself to the bathroom and Elliot got the couch ready for bed. When Olivia emerged she came out to the living room with a bemused look on her face.</p><p>"You don't have to sleep out here," she said.</p><p>Elliot stared at her, slightly surprised at her suggestion. "I didn't want to assume," he said, dropping the blanket back down on the couch. "I didn't know how fast or slow you want to take this."</p><p>"I know, and I appreciate that you didn't make any assumptions. Come on, let's go to bed. I have to be up early."</p><p>He followed her to her bedroom and watched her crawl into bed. She patted the empty space next to her and smiled.</p><p>Elliot smiled back and pulled his shirt over his head. "This okay? I don't like to sleep in shirts."</p><p>"It's perfectly fine," Olivia answered. He could see her eyes roaming across his chest and she bit her lip. The look on her face sent a wave of warmth through him and down to his basketball short clad pelvis. He slowly got into bed and turned onto his side as she turned off the light on the nightstand.</p><p>"Did you mean it?" She asked as she rolled onto her side to look at him.</p><p>"I do," Elliot whispered. "I love you." He kissed her softly as his arm came to rest around her waist.</p><p>Olivia's eyes searched his own before she smiled "I do too," Olivia admitted. "I love you Elliot."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Olivia couldn't remember the last time she slept so well.</p>
<p>Sure, she had been sleeping well since coming to Montana, but not so well that she slept through her alarm and had to rush to get ready that morning. Elliot certainly hadn't helped. He also slept through the alarm and had his arms tightly around her when she woke.</p>
<p>After Olivia had to shake him awake, they quickly threw on some clothes, loaded Olivia's truck, and scarfed down a couple granola bars before leaving. The drive into town was silent, mostly because they still couldn't shake the sleep from their systems. Once Olivia parked the truck, she and Elliot carried a few large boxes to Olivia's stall. Her stall at the market was a single folding table under a blue canopy she shared with a woman who spun her own yarn and sold her knitted crafts.</p>
<p>Elliot was impressed by the number of people that came to Olivia's stall. Her berries and jams seem to be a hit among the townspeople. With each customer though there were curious looks thrown at him. Those who seemed to know Olivia, or rather Maggie, more asked about him and she introduced him. "This is Elliot. He's my boyfriend."</p>
<p>"Did you want to go walk around?" Olivia asked him as their latest customers left. They've already been sitting under the tent for a couple hours and Olivia could tell Elliot was starting to get bored. It was the way he kept checking his watch and randomly picking up jars of jam to examine them. He used to do the same thing on their long stake outs with empty coffee cups and drink bottles. "There's some interesting stalls down the street. You might be able to find something for the kids if you wanted to take home souvenirs. And there are some food vendors if you're hungry."</p>
<p>"Eager to get rid of me?" Elliot teased.</p>
<p>"No, but you're bored."</p>
<p>"She's right, you look bored."</p>
<p>Olivia looked up to see Patty walking over to her stall. She was smiling and carrying a canvas tote bag that looked rather heavy.</p>
<p>"How are you two kids?" She asked. "How's business, Maggie?"</p>
<p>"Great," Olivia answered. "Nearly sold out of all my blueberries. I saved you a pack though. And those potatoes you wanted."</p>
<p>"Thank you, dear," Patty said as she began digging through her purse. She pulled out several bills and handed them to Olivia. "Keep the change."</p>
<p>"Thanks Patty." Olivia reached under the table and pulled out a small box that had Patty's name on it and handed it to the older woman "There you go."</p>
<p>"And this is for you two," Patty said, switching the box with the tote bag. "I figured you two could have a little picnic since the weather's supposed to be glorious the rest of the day."</p>
<p>"Oh, Patty, you shouldn't have," Olivia said gratefully as she peeked into the bag. There was a large bottle of wine, a merlot from what the label said; a block of a hard, pale cheese, a container of grapes, a stick of salami, and a package of crackers. "You really didn't have to."</p>
<p>Patty waved her hand in dismissal. "I wanted to. It's not everyday I see a beautiful couple come into my bar. You two remind me of me and my husband, god rest his soul." She winked at Elliot and smiled at Olivia. "Be good to each other. And stop by soon." She waved a goodbye to them and continued on her way.</p>
<p>"She doesn't miss a thing, does she?" Elliot asked as he thought about the talk he had with Patty that night in the bar.</p>
<p>"No she doesn't," Olivia responded slowly. "She said something to you, didn't she? In the bar while I was away from the table?"</p>
<p>Elliot nodded. "She could see how I looked at you and she just knew how I felt about you." He took her hand and squeezed it.</p>
<p>Olivia smiled "She's smart, that woman. I guess we shouldn't let her little present go to waste then."</p>
<p>"What did you have in mind?"</p>
<p>"Well, I know this spot that would be perfect for a picnic. I found the first month I was here when I was out exploring. There's just one problem."</p>
<p>"Oh? What's that?"</p>
<p>"Do you remember how to ride a horse, El?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was just after lunch time when they made it back to the house with a truck load of empty boxes. Olivia sold out of everything and she was proud of herself. Elliot could feel himself falling even more in love with her. She couldn't stop smiling as she drove home. Even though he promised he wouldn't ask her to come back to New York, he knew he could never take her from the wide open spaces of Montana. This was where she belonged. She was free and she was happy.</p>
<p>Once they reached the house, he unloaded the boxes from the truck while Olivia went to change out of the leggings and cotton tee into something more appropriate to ride a horse.</p>
<p>When she emerged from the bedroom she was wearing dark denim jeans, a light blue button down shirt left open to show the white camisole underneath, and in her hands was a dark colored cowboy hat. She holstered her revolver and slipped into a pair of brown, heeled cowboy boots before turning to Elliot and smiling. "Ready?"</p>
<p>"Sure. You're gonna have to walk me through all this. I haven't been on a horse in about twenty years," he confessed as he followed her out of the house.</p>
<p>She grabbed the tote Patty gave them earlier and headed to the barn. Just inside the barn door was a door that Olivia unlocked and opened. Inside was a number of saddles, halters, reigns, and other pieces of tack. She grabbed a few things off one shelf before heaving a saddle off another shelf and passing it to Elliot. "You're gonna be riding Pipa. She's the palomino. I was talking to her owners at the bar the other night. They're not gonna be able to make it up this week so this is Pipa's chance to get out for a bit." She then heaved another saddle off the shelf and walked over to the stalls.</p>
<p>Elliot watched as Olivia put the saddle on Luna. She worked swiftly and before he knew it she was helping him tack up Pipa. The palomino stood patiently as Elliot fumbled with the buckles and straps.</p>
<p>"I don't need to worry about being bucked off, do I?" Elliot asked as Olivia stuffed the picnic items and some ropes into the saddlebags on Luna.</p>
<p>"Pipa's good with inexperienced riders. Her owner is a ten year old after all," Olivia laughed as she led the horses out of the barn. "You'll be fine Elliot. Just keep close and do what I do.".</p>
<p>She put her foot in the stirrup, lifted herself up, and swung over the back of the horse. She looked back at Elliot and watched him do the same, though not nearly as gracefully as she had just done. She smiled and nudged Luna's sides with her heels and began leading the way to the woods.</p>
<p>Hidden among the trees just off the property was a worn down path. The dirt trail twisted this way and that around trees and large foliage. The trail had been there long before Olivia discovered it. It was used by a lot of horseback riders in the area. But when they came to a fork in the trail just ten minutes into their ride, the left side of the fork wasn't as well traveled as the right. This was the path Olivia discovered, and she made it her own.</p>
<p>She glanced back at Elliot to see how he was doing. He was holding his own, though he didn't look very comfortable in his saddle. Their eyes met and they exchanged smiles before Olivia turned back to the trail in front of her.</p>
<p>"We never talked about it," Elliot's voice came from behind her.</p>
<p>"About what?" Olivia questioned.</p>
<p>"The day Harris tried to have you killed."</p>
<p>"We didn't have time to. The feds came and whisked me away the next day, remember?" She thought back on the day that occured a little more than a year ago. She and Elliot were out following a lead on their latest case; a seven year old girl that was kidnapped and found dead in a dumpster with signs of sexual abuse.</p>
<p>They just left the apartment of a witness when gunfire broke out. Elliot dragged Olivia behind a car as the windows exploded above them. As he called for backup, he looked over to Olivia to see blood seeping through the arm of her jacket. Olivia had noticed too and was looking at him with a look of shock and horror. Elliot had all but ripped her jacket off to find a bullet had grazed her upper arm.</p>
<p>She ended up needing only two stitches, but that had been enough for Elliot. The possibility of almost losing her was something he couldn't endure.</p>
<p>They knew it was Lowell Harris, or rather, someone Harris hired to shoot Olivia. The failed attempt was all it took for the feds to remove Olivia from New York while they searched for Harris. Elliot barely had time to say goodbye to her before she was put into the back of an unmarked suv. As much as the separation pained him, Elliot knew Olivia would be safer away from the city.</p>
<p>"What is there to talk about?" Olivia then asked. "He tried to kill me, he failed, he got caught."</p>
<p>"You could have died."</p>
<p>"But I didn't," Olivia said, turning her head back to look at him.</p>
<p>"It just-just makes me realize how much time we wasted, you know?"</p>
<p>"We just won't waste anymore time," Olivia responded.</p>
<p>The sound of the birds that had filled the woods around them faded and was replaced by the sound of rushing water. A clearing came into view and soon they were on the banks of a roaring stream. The current rushed passed them, crashing into the large rocks that littered the water bed. The water was clear and small fish could be seen swimming downstream.</p>
<p>Olivia dismounted and pulled out two lead ropes from one of the saddle bags. She tried off Luna to a tree near the water so the horse could drink if she wanted. She then motioned for Elliot to dismount so she could tie off Pipa as well.</p>
<p>"This is beautiful," Elliot said as he looked around the clearing. The bank of the stream consisted of patchy grass and dry dirt. Elliot could see a number of small animal tracks in the dried mud closer to the stream.</p>
<p>"I found it while exploring shortly after I got here," Olivia said as she pulled the picnic supplies out of the saddle bag. She spread a blanket out of the ground and kicked off her boots as she unpacked the bag Patty gave them. She uncorked the wine and took a sip from the bottle before passing it to Elliot. "It's so peaceful up here."</p>
<p>"Clean too. I don't remember when the last time I saw water that clear was," Elliot chuckled, taking a sip of the wine before helping himself to a handful of grapes.</p>
<p>"How is this going to work, El?" Olivia asked after a moment of silence. "When you go back to New York in a few days?"</p>
<p>Elliot had given it thought already. He had an idea churning in his head, but he wanted to run it by a few people before he told Olivia. "Well, I can fly out here and stay for a couple weeks at a time. God knows I have enough leave time built up by now. And I'm sure you're going to visit, right?"</p>
<p>"Of course," Olivia answered. She paused and took another sip of the wine. "We'll figure it out. We always do." She didn't like the thought of only getting to see each other every few weeks, but that's just how it was going to have to be. She trusted Elliot to help her make this new relationship between them work, but she worried that the distance would become too much.</p>
<p>They would just have to cross that bridge when it came.</p>
<p>She cut off a hunk of cheese and popped it into her mouth before removing her socks. She rolled up her jeans and walked over to the stream. She sat down on a large rock and dipped her legs into the water. The water was cool and refreshing against her skin. She turned back to look at Elliot and gestured for him to come over. "And bring that wine," she said.</p>
<p>After taking off his socks and shoes and rolling his own pant legs up, he joined her a minute later. He handed her the bottle of wine and she took a long drink from it.</p>
<p>"You know, I thought being in SVU was going to be something I wanted for the rest of my life. I loved helping the victims and finding justice for them. I wanted nothing more than to keep them safe," she said. "But it wasn't until I got here did I realize how much of a toll it all took on me. Everyday I was going through the motions. It wasn't living, it was just getting through the day. I don't want to do that again.</p>
<p>"I didn't know what to expect when the feds brought me here. I just wanted to go back to New York because it was all I knew. But now...now I know what I want and I know how I want to live the rest of my life." She paused and entwined her fingers with Elliot's. "I know you said you wouldn't ask me to go back, but can you see now why I want to stay?"</p>
<p>Elliot's blue eyes met her brown ones and he nodded. "I do," he said. "I get it. Hell...SVU isn't going to be the same without you, but you're happy and that's all I want for you."</p>
<p>She smiled and leaned over to kiss him.</p>
<p>Elliot kissed back eagerly and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. He cupped her cheek and held her face to his as his tongue wiped over her bottom lip seeking entrance. She hummed against his mouth and parted her lips. She could taste the wine on his lips and tongue and just as she started to relish his kissing, his lips were gone from hers and kissing down her jaw to her neck.</p>
<p>He nipped and sucked gently at her soft skin causing her to moan softly. The sound sent a tingling feeling right through him and he could feel his cock twitch. His lips moved up her neck and to her ear lobe. "God, Olivia, you do things to me." He recaptured her lips and wrapped his other arm around her. He stood, pulling her up with him and lifted her up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around him and allowed him to carry her back over to the blanket spread out on the ground.</p>
<p>She felt her back touch the ground as he lowered her slowly. She could feel his hardness brush against her thigh and it turned her on even more. She sat up, parted from him, and tugged at his navy colored shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. She ran her hands down his chest. It wasn't the first time she had seen him topless, but before then, she could only imagine what he felt like under her fingers.</p>
<p>Elliot felt hot under her touch and brought her lips back to his. He peeled off her button down shirt and slipped his hands under the camisole. Her skin was soft against his rough hands. He broke the kiss and pulled the shirt over her head leaving her in a simple plum colored bra. Elliot moved his lips down her neck and to her chest as he began working the claps of her bra. Once it was removed, he looked her over. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. He laid her back and kissed her hard, his hand cupping her breast, his thumb moving over her nipple. His lips left a trail of kisses down her neck, her chest, and landed on her other nipple.</p>
<p>There was a pool of heat building between her legs. She whimpered at his touch. She sat up and began working the button of Elliot's jeans with one hand while the other cupped his erection. A low groan escaped his lips and he helped her room his jeans and boxers. Once free of the clothing, she wrapped her hand around his cock and began to stroke him slowly.</p>
<p>"Fuck, Olivia," he moaned. He placed a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her mouth back to his to kiss her quickly before swatting her hand away. He unbuckled her belt and unbuttoned her pants before pulling both her jeans and the cotton, plum colored panties down her legs. He tossed them into the pile of clothes next to him before dipping his hand between her legs.</p>
<p>Olivia's head fell back and she let out a moan when his fingers slid through her slick folds. He moved his thumb against her clit and it felt like little explosions were going off all through her body. She couldn't think straight. All she knew was she needed more. "Elliot," she whimpered, bringing her eyes to his. "More."</p>
<p>Elliot smirked at her as he rubbed his thumb against her clit in a circular motion. He leaned forward and took her bottom lip between his before slipping a finger into her. When she moaned into his mouth, he slipped a second in and began moving them slowly in and out.</p>
<p>She bucked her hips against his fingers as he thrust them into her. He pulled away from her lips and dipped his head down to her neck, peppering her with small, gentle kisses. He began to move his fingers faster, curling them to hit just the right spot.</p>
<p>"El," Olivia groaned, grabbing his wrist and stopping him. "Want you."</p>
<p>"Are you sure?" Elliot asked softly as he hovered above her.</p>
<p>"I'm sure," Olivia confirmed.</p>
<p>He leaned down and kissed her as he removed his fingers. He lined himself up with her entrance and pushed into her. She let out a moan as he filled and stretched her. Her legs wrapped around him, forcing him to stay in place as their lips parted. They stared at each other a moment before Elliot reattached his lips to her neck and began thrusting into her.</p>
<p>She felt so good around him. He knew that if he wasn't careful, he wouldn't last long. He stilled for a moment and removed his lips from her neck. He moved his mouth down to one of her nipples. As he nipped and sucked the bud, he began rubbing his thumb over her clit again. Olivia moaned and rolled her hips against him.</p>
<p>She could feel a burning heat forming in her. Her hand gripped at the hair on the back of Elliot's head as she dug her heels into his back. "Please," she groaned. "El, please."</p>
<p>"Please what?" Elliot asked, lifting his head and smirking at her. His thumb never stopped moving against her.</p>
<p>"Don't stop," she managed to say as a wave of intensity rolled through her. The heat in her was building and she knew she was close.</p>
<p>"Didn't plan on it," Elliot responded as he slowly began thrusting into her. He continued the circular pattern with his thumb. He began to feel her tighten around him and quickened his thrusts. "Don't hold back, baby," he groaned.</p>
<p>"Oh god, Elliot."</p>
<p>The dam broke and her orgasm ran through her. She let out a low moan as she clamped down around him. Her body shuddered and her back arched off the blanket. Her thighs tightened around him, holding him in place.</p>
<p>The feeling of her walls tight against his cock and the way her body shuddered tipped him over the edge. His thrusting became erratic and seconds later he was moaning her name and coming in her. He dropped his thumb from her middle and continued to push into her as they rode through their orgasms. When the tidal wave passed, they stared at each other. They were gasping as they came down from their highs, waiting for the other to say something.</p>
<p>Olivia propped herself up on her elbows and kissed him tenderly before grinning. "I could get used to that."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They spent the night in bed together, limbs entangled, moans and whispers of "I love you" exchanged between them. When dawn came and rays of sunlight found their way through the curtains of Olivia's bedroom, Elliot was the first to wake. He marveled at Olivia's sleeping form next to him. She was laying on her stomach with her arms curled under her pillow. She was still naked with only the light blue sheet of her bed covering up to her lower back. Half her face was buried into her pillow and a few locks of hair hid the rest of her face from view.</p><p>He pressed a kiss on her bare shoulder and got out of bed. He dug out a clean pair of boxers and shorts from his bag and dressed quietly. With one last look at Olivia, he slipped out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.</p><p>He was leaving the day after next. He didn't want to, but he knew he would be back with Olivia soon enough.</p><p>There were some things he needed to tend to first.</p><p>Elliot was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't hear Olivia enter the kitchen until she cleared her throat. He looked up and found her in his old, gray, USMC shirt. It was baggy on her and just long enough to cover the tops of her thighs. Her hair was messy and her eyes bright and refreshed.</p><p>"You're in my way," she said teasingly.</p><p>"Oh, sorry," he replied, stepping out of the way so she could get into the cabinet for a mug. "Did I wake you?"</p><p>"No, I woke up on my own and didn't want to lay in an empty bed." She poured herself some coffee and stirred in some creamer. "Brody is coming back tomorrow," she continued. "And I need to call Cragen today and let him know what's going on."</p><p>"I think he already knows you're not coming back," Elliot said.</p><p>"You might be right, but I still should let him know so he can get the paperwork ready." She sipped her coffee and sat down at the table. She grabbed an apple out of the basket of fruit she had sitting in the middle and looked it over. "Will you be alright without me there?"</p><p>Elliot shrugged. The idea of not having Olivia as a partner didn't sit well with him. "I'll miss you that's for sure. It won't be the same without you, but I'll survive." He turned and retrieved a mug from the cabinet before pouring himself a cup of coffee. "But I feel better knowing you're happy."</p><p>She smiled and took a bite out of the apple.</p><p>The morning routine was the same: give food and water to the chickens, let them out to roam, collect eggs, feed and water the horses, let them out of graze, muck the stalls, tend to the crops. By midday, Olivia was tending to some boarders and Elliot was rinsing off the berries they just finished picking. Once he finished, he looked out the window to find Olivia still talking to the woman who owned one of the horses that was out grazing. He dried his hands and grabbed his phone before sitting down at the table.</p><p>He found the number he needed and dialed. After two rings, a voice came across the line.</p><p>"Hello?"</p><p>"Kathy, it's me. Are the kids around?"</p><hr/><p>"I thought she'd never leave," Olivia groaned, flopping down on the couch next to Elliot. "She decided she wanted to change Cerridwen's diet and went on and on about how an all natural diet was better for the horses and gave me very specific instructions on what to feed her horse. I mean, the lady pays good money to board her horse, but I don't need complete explanation on the history of organic diets in horses.." She rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you for that long."</p><p>"It's okay," Elliot said. "I had some phone calls to make. Speaking of phone calls, you might want to call Cragen. It's getting close to quitting time for him."</p><p>"Yea, you're right. Better get this over with," Olivia responded pulling her phone from her back pocket.</p><p>She dialed Cragen's office number and got an answer after the first ring.</p><p>"Captain Cragen, SVU," came the familiar voice of her, now former, captain.</p><p>"Cap, it's Olivia."</p><p>"Liv? How are you? It's been a while."</p><p>"Yea, yea it has. I suppose you suspect why I'm calling."</p><p>"Elliot mentioned it a few days ago. You wanting to stay, that is. I'm assuming you will be staying?"</p><p>"I am," Olivia answered. "It's what's best for me. I hope you don't think I'm running away or giving up."</p><p>"Never. There comes a time when you just need to walk away and move on. This is your time. You put in twelve years at SVU and twenty with the NYPD. You've accomplished so much, and you earned this time. I'm proud of you, Olivia," Cragen said on the other end of the line.</p><p>The words touched her and she started to tear up. "I learned a lot," she said, clearing her throat and sighing. "Well I guess this is where we get down to business. Can you mail me the paperwork you need me to sign? I'll text you my address."</p><p>"Will do. And I'll start working on getting you your pension tonight."</p><p>"Thank you. I'll be in touch soon."</p><p>"Take care of yourself, Liv. Don't be a stranger either. Come and visit."</p><p>"I promise."</p><p>The call ended and Olivia wiped her eyes with a tissue Elliot handed her. "I don't regret staying here, but it feels so real, so final now," she said.</p><p>"Harder than you thought, huh?" Elliot asked, rubbing her back gently.</p><p>"A bit," she sighed. "Now I just have to get through Brody's visit tomorrow and it will all be over." She hadn't expected to be so emotional. Then again, she was letting go of a significant part of her life. Olivia thought she had been prepared for it.</p><p>"Well, how about we go out tonight and celebrate you taking that step?" Elliot suggested. "It'll be fun."</p><p>Olivia smiled. "Yea, let's do that, and then when we get back we can celebrate in other ways." She winked at him and disappeared into the bedroom to change.</p><p>An hour later they were eating pizza outside of the town's only pizza joint to kill time before Patty's opened for the night. The pizza sucked, but Olivia didn't care as long as she got to sit with Elliot. He would be leaving in less than forty-eight hours and she wasn't going to waste a minute of it.</p><p>When Patty's opened, they were among the first few people inside the bar. Patty greeted them with a smile and took their drink orders as they claimed a table. The bar was quiet during the early hours of the evening, but the peace wouldn't last for long.</p><p>"There's something different about you two," Patty said when she brought Elliot his whiskey and Olivia her wine. "You look...closer."</p><p>"Your picnic helped," Elliot said. "It was great thank you."</p><p>"You're welcome. Holler if you need anything, Maggie." She then went off to deliver drinks to another table.</p><p>"When are you going to tell her the truth?" Elliot asked.</p><p>"Soon," Olivia answered. "I think she'll understand. If she doesn't already know. She doesn't miss anything."</p><p>Elliot chuckled and finished his whiskey just as a loud rock song finished on the jukebox. A slow country song came on and Elliot smiled. "Wanna dance?"</p><p>Olivia smiled back and nodded. "And this time I'll kiss you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sleep wasn't on the agenda that when they returned home. After spending the evening drinking and dancing, they eventually made it back to the house where they fell into bed kissing and stripping away each other's clothing. They spent their time alternating between slow, gentle lovemaking and hard, rough fucking.</p><p>Elliot didn't remember when he fell asleep, but he woke up to loud knocking on the front door. He sat up straight and looked at the clock.</p><p>It was almost ten.</p><p>"Shit, Liv, get up," Elliot grumbled, gently shaking her awake. "We overslept."</p><p>"What time is it?" Olivia yawned, turning over and looking at the clock. "Shit! Brody."</p><p>"That's probably him at the door," Elliot said, throwing on some pants and a t-shirt. "Get dressed. I'll go let him in."</p><p>He hurried to the front door and sure enough, it was Agent Brody standing on the other side looking irritated. "I've been knocking the last twenty minutes. I tried both of your phones too," he said when Elliot opened the door.</p><p>"Sorry. We overslept and I guess we didn't hear our phones," Elliot said a little sheepishly. He was pretty sure his phone was dead. He didn't remember charging it the night before.</p><p>"Well, I'm on a tight schedule. I need to be on a flight back to DC in about five hours and it takes three just to get to the airport from here," Brody said as Elliot stepped aside to let him enter. "Where is Benson?"</p><p>"Right here. Sorry for the late start," Olivia said as she came out of the bedroom dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She looked flushed, but Elliot guessed it was from rushing out of bed and throwing on clothes. She opted to keep her hair down and he guessed it was to try and hide the purple marks on her neck that he just noticed.</p><p>Brody looked between the two."Well let's get started," he said before going into the kitchen.</p><p>Elliot caught Olivia's eye and smirked as her cheeks turned red.</p><p>The paperwork was complicated, but Olivia had expected it. She wrote her name and social security number so many times that she doubted she could write anything else after that. But when she finally signed the last document that was pushed in front of her, everything was done. She now owned the house, land, and boarding business. It was truly all hers.</p><p>"Well, I wish you luck," Agent Brody said as he filed the papers away in his briefcase. "Not many people decide to continue leaving where we relocate them in the program. Everyone's so eager to get back to their normal lives." He smiled at her, stood, and held out his hand to shake hers. "I really do wish you all the luck in the world.</p><p>"Thank you. And thank you for helping make this possible. I know the paperwork was probably a bitch," Olivia said, shaking his hand.</p><p>"It's not a problem. I had it all finished the night I left. I figured you'd be staying. You have my number. Call if there's anything I can help you with." Brody shook Elliot's hand and bid them goodbye before making his way out of the house.</p><p>Olivia watched the FBI agent get into a black suv and drive off in the direction of town. She let out a sigh and turned to Elliot. "Well, that's it. It's all done for sure now."</p><p>"How do you feel?" Elliot asked.</p><p>"I'm not sure yet," Olivia said. "I'm sure it will hit me soon. But in the meantime, I need to get caught up on my work. We were up way too late last night." Her lips turned upwards into a coy smile, not feeling a bit guilty about the way they spent their evening.</p><p>"Think he saw those hickeys?" Elliot asked.</p><p>"I know he did," Olivia laughed. "Now come and help me. The sooner we get done the sooner we can get back into bed."</p><p>Elliot needed no more convincing and followed her outside.</p>
<hr/><p>After the work was done and they were too tired to do anything else and spent the rest of the afternoon watching a movie. It was then Olivia decided she wanted to have another fire and spend the evening outside enjoying the wilderness with Elliot for the last time before he had to leave in the morning.</p><p>The sun was going down behind the mountains and the sky was growing darker. Olivia spread out a blanket on the ground next to the fire pit as Elliot built the fire and prepped some marshmallows to toast. He caught the first couple marshmallows on fire before toasting one to a perfect golden brown and offering it to Olivia. "Figured you wouldn't like the burned ones."</p><p>"You figured right," Olivia laughed as she popped the marshmallow into her mouth. Just as she was about to lick the remnants of marshmallow from her lips, Elliot leaned forward and kissed her. His tongue swiped across her lips before slipping into her mouth. Olivia moaned softly and slipped her hands under his shirt, needing to feel his skin under her hands.</p><p>He broke the kiss to pull her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra. His lips were on her neck as she began pulling his shirt off. Soon their clothes were scattered around on the ground and Elliot was on top of her, his fingers dipping into her wetness and his lips on her breasts. She writhed against his touch, but she wanted something different though. She mustered up her strength and rolled them over so she was on top.</p><p>She leaned down and kissed him as she lined herself up with his length and sank down onto him. He moaned into his mouth as he felt himself enter her and grabbed her hips to hold her in place. He wasn't ready for her to move just yet. Elliot pushed up into her causing her to groan as their lips parted. She grabbed hands and pulled them from her hips, and she slowly began to move along the length of his cock.</p><p>She picked up her speed, only slowing to lean down and kiss him. It wasn't long until they were both coming and calling out the other's name. Olivia collapsed down onto him and Elliot wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and not wanted to ever let her go.</p><p>When morning came, Olivia felt like she would start crying at any moment. She helped Elliot pack his bags and load them into his rental car. She couldn't believe he was leaving. She knew it had to happen, and she knew this moment was coming, but she couldn't believe how quickly the week had passed. The time they spent together felt like a lifetime and a blink of an eye all at once. So much happened and her life completely changed...again.</p><p>When it was time for Elliot to leave for the airport, Olivia walked him to his car and they stood there in silence for a moment before Elliot spoke.</p><p>"We'll be together again soon, I promise," he said as his hands ran up and down her upper arms.</p><p>"I wish you could stay," Olivia confessed.</p><p>"Me too," Elliot replied. He leaned forward and kissed her lips hard.</p><p>That's when the tears finally fell.</p><p>Her cheeks were wet when they parted and she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she said with a sniffle. "I know we're going to see each other soon, but I'm going to miss you so much."</p><p>"I'm going to miss you too, Liv. I need to get going or I'll miss my flight. I love you."</p><p>"I love you too, El," Olivia replied, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.</p><p>He hugged her back and they stayed like that for a while, neither willing to let the other go. When Olivia eventually loosened her grip and stepped back, he kissed her forehead before getting into his car. He lowered the window and waved to her as he started the car and began to slowly drive away. She watched the car get smaller and smaller as it went down the driveway before it turned onto the main road and disappeared behind in the distance.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three weeks.</p>
<p>It seemed like an eternity since Elliot left, but it had only been less than a month. Elliot called her everyday before she went to bed and he stayed on the phone with her until she fell asleep. They texted throughout the day and exchanged jokes and pictures. And even though they were in constant contact, Olivia was still lonely.</p>
<p>She missed Elliot so much, even more so than she did when she first arrived in Montana. Olivia was due in New York in a few weeks for the first part of Harris's trial and though it was only going to be for a couple days, she planned to spend every possible second with Elliot. She knew he was in the middle of a big case, but they would find the time to be together.</p>
<p>"I doubt myself sometimes," she said to Luna as she brushed out the horse's mane. "Maybe I made the wrong decision by staying here. But other times I know I made the right one."</p>
<p>The horse blinked and shook her head.</p>
<p>"I just have to take it one day at a time. I just really miss him," Olivia sighed and continued the gentle brushing.</p>
<p>The sound of crunching gravel brought her out of her thoughts. She wasn't expecting anyone today. She double checked her phone to make sure she didn't have any messages from clients and frowned when she saw nothing. "You didn't invite anyone over did you?" She jokingly asked the horse as she left the stall and closed the door behind her.</p>
<p>"Woah! Daddy, look at the horses!" Came a voice as Olivia stepped out of the barn. Parked in her driveway next to her truck was an unfamiliar red jeep with a small boy standing in front of it looking out into the field where the other horses were grazing. The boy looked suspiciously like-</p>
<p>"Liv!"</p>
<p>Olivia turned to see Elliot coming around the other side of the jeep with Elizabeth and Dickie following him.</p>
<p>"Elliot?" She asked as she hurriedly walked towards him. "Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here? You were texting me this morning saying you were working on a case."</p>
<p>Elliot grinned. "I hate lying to you, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise. I brought the kids too. I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up before now. Like I said, I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Hey, Lizzie, Dickie, why don't you take Eli over to look at the horses?"</p>
<p>"Sure, dad," Elizabeth said. She smiled at Olivia and grabbed Dickie's arm. "Let's go. They want privacy."</p>
<p>"Yea, yea," Dickie said before he and his sister took their little brother over to the pasture fence.</p>
<p>"How long are you staying?" Olivia asked as she watched his kids walk away.</p>
<p>"The kids? They just wanted to see what it was like out here. They'll be here a week and Maureen and Kathleen are coming next week. Me? I'm here until you throw me out," Elliot answered, still grinning.</p>
<p>Olivia blinked and did a double take. She wasn't sure she heard him correctly. "What? What do you mean?"</p>
<p>"I mean that I'm staying here permanently. After the week we spent together I knew that there was nothing else I wanted to do but to be with you and sure we could have made the long distance thing work, but it wasn't the same. I wasted so much time already and I wasn't going to waste anymore. I put my papers in, Liv. I'm officially retired."</p>
<p>"You did that? To...to be here with me?"</p>
<p>Elliot nodded. "I talked it over with the kids and everything. I'm here for as long as you'll have me."</p>
<p>Olivia's mouth broke into a huge grin and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.</p>
<p>She didn't know what to expect from Montana, but a year ago she never would have guessed she would decide to stay there and live out her life with the man she loved.</p>
<p>
  <i>End</i>
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